In today’s world, political developments, international relations, wars, conflicts, treats, economic relations and cultural exchanges increasingly influence each other and no political phenomenon or movement should be seen in isolation. To properly asses the EPLF’s diplomatic activity during the struggle, therefore, it is necessary to analyze the international and regional political atmosphere under which it was undertaken.

Among the factors that influence political developments in the world, the deceive ones are the big powers. These powers in the first instance the United States and the Soviet Union were powerful and influential on account of their economic and military and hence their political right. Their power, however, does not derive solely from their own resources, but is buttressed by that of their allies and followers.

The world was generally presented as divided in to two camps representing different socio-economic systems. But this assessment doesn’t reflect the objective political situation of the world. The two camps were not divided on the basis principal and ideology, but on the basis of the struggle for spheres of influence.

The EPLF realized that the pervasive influence of the two super-powers, their opposition to the Eritrean people’sright to self-determination and their contention in the region were the causes not only of the suffering of Eritrean people but also of conflict and instability in the Horn of Africa. The EPLF, therefore, reputedly called on the Soviet Union to recognize the rights of the peoples of the Horn to decide independently their destinies and to use their influence to advance the causes of peace and instability in the region.

United States of America

The role and influence of the US in the world can be analyzed under three topics: economic, military and political.Over the last 50 years the economic influence of the U.S has been on the rise. It is the leading country of monopoly capital and its economic dominance in the world on its industrial, technological and trade capacity.

American companies have increasingly dominated nationally or regionally based companies in other continents. Most independent companies in other industrial countries cannot compete with their American rival in size, capacity and capital investment and were therefore dominated by the American giants. Moreover, many other companies in the developed world are U.S subsidiaries, set up wholly or in part by American capital and technology.

In terms of man power too, the specialist, professionals as well as skilled and other workers of the developed countries directly or indirectly serve American industries, financial institutions and multi-national companies. American scientific, technological and industrial innovations are supplemented by similar break-throughand developments in other industrial countries.